PixlBit

So, Resident Evil 6 has finally been announced. By now, I will assume everyone has seen the (awesome) trailer and I must say, I'm pumped. Not only does Resident Evil 6 choose the series' two most notable (male) protagonists, Leon and Chris, but it looks to have refined the gameplay of RE4 and 5, while introducing some new elements as well. At the same time it seems to be trying to find a balance between the action packed set pieces of RE5 and the scaryness of the originals. While I find it hard to believe that the series will ever be as scary as it once was known for, I do believe that 6 has a lot of potential to be the best in the series.

Holding Resident Evil 6 to that pedigree at such an early stage is kind of unfair, but even Capcom believes that RE6 is their boldest and biggest title yet. Numerous reports have stated that the team working on RE6 is the largest in series history, with over 100 people working on the title (even more if you count contributing studio's). This sounds good, but having a big team doesnt necessarily mean that the game will be better for it. Many games are released of AAA quality and their dev. teams are a lot smaller than that. However to me, this means a few things; first off, they are obviously trying to take it a step above their last few titles. Resident Evil 4 was a huge landmark in the series with its revamped gameplay, and Resident Evil 5, though heavily criticized, had fantastic visuals and one of the best co-op experiences to date. I feel that Capcom will utilize this team to enhance the gameplay we've grown accustomed to, and expand on the multiplayer that they found a hit with. I would go as far as to say I expect more of a competitve aspect to be revealed at some point, which I personally could live without, but seeing how thats the trend these days, I wouldnt be surprised. If anything, I'd expect a horde like mode. There are already rumors about a 6 player co-op/competitve feature as well so that adds fuel to that fire.

Now as far as the story is concerned, its hard to say. The RE story is notorious for being convoluted and confusing, but if it has achieved anything, it has established characters and events that are quite memorable. The fact that we finally have a game where Leon and Chris as the main protagonists is sure to excite most fans of the series. The other character that I'm excited to learn more about is the mysterious guy with the buzz cut from the trailer. I've seen much speculation that he is Alex Wesker, related to series antagonist Albert Wesker. This would be pretty interesting in all honesty, and I feel that if done right, it could make a pretty solid tale. 

I'm also pretty glad to see  the return of traditional zombies. Seeing parasite infested monsters was kind of cool for a little while, but overall they don't provide the same feeling that a true zombie does. This is where I'm kind of worried. The game seems to have a clear cut off between Leon's campain and Chris' campaign. Leon's seems to be a bit more of the traditional RE vibe, while Chris' campaign is more akin to his action packed adventure in RE5. I don't have a huge problem with that, but I feel that the focus being divided like that can ultimately tarnish the overall reception of the game. I can already see tons of people who are polarized, liking one portion of the game better than the other. Hopefully, Capcom finds a good way to balance out the two stories, along with the mystery characters and provide a fun game overall.

While there is a lot of reason to be worried, RE6 got me hype the instant I heard it was official. The trailer was no exception to that hype, and I watched it about 3 times in succession just from pure excitement. Resident Evil 6 has a lot going for it. We will likely see it in some playable form (hopefully at this years E3), and once we do, we can draw more from our expectations but generally I can't wait to see what they do with the series. 

Let me know what you think. I know that RE has polarized its audience lately so either way, lemmie know how you feel about RE6, or what you think they should do with the game!

-JD